Abstract: An apparatus having both a resonator and an inductor fabricated on a single substrate and a method of fabricating the apparatus are disclosed. The apparatus includes a resonator and an inductor that is connected to the resonator. Both the resonator and the inductor are fabricated over their respective cavities to produce a high Q-factor filter circuit.

Abstract: A thin-film resonator having a protective layer and a method of making the same are disclosed. The resonator has a bottom electrode, piezoelectric layer, a top electrode, and protective layer. The protective layer covers the top electrode to protect the top electrode from air and moisture. A protective underlayer can be used to protect the bottom electrode from air and moisture. The protective underlayer can also serve as a seed layer to assist in fabrication of high quality piezoelectric layer.

Abstract: A method for fabricating an apparatus, and an apparatus embodying the same is disclosed. First a device chip having circuit elements is fabricated. Next, a cap with a cap circuit is fabricated. Finally, the cap is placed on the device chip to connect a first contact point with a second contact point using the connector on the cap. The apparatus includes a device chip and a cap. The device chip has the first contact point and a second contact point. The cap has the cap circuit that, when the cap is placed on the device chip, connects the first contact point with the second contact point.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a resonator, and in particular, a thin film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR), and a resonator embodying the method are disclosed. An FBAR is fabricated on a substrate by introducing a mass loading top electrode layer. For a substrate having multiple resonators, the top mass loading electrode layer is introduced for only selected resonator to provide resonators having different resonance frequencies on the same substrate.

Abstract: An apparatus having a thin film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) with positively sloped bottom electrode and a method of making the same is disclosed. The resonator has a bottom electrode, a top electrode, and core material. The bottom electrode includes a positively sloped edge. To make the apparatus including the resonator, first, a bottom electrode layer is deposited. Then, the bottom electrode layer is dry etched to fabricate a bottom electrode having a positively sloped edge. Next, a core layer is fabricated above the bottom electrode. Finally, a top electrode is fabricated over the core layer.

Abstract: In an array of acoustic resonators, the resonant frequencies of the resonators are adjusted and stabilized in order to achieve target frequency responses for the array. The method of adjusting is achieved by intentionally inducing oxidation at an elevated temperature. Thermal oxidation grows a molybdenum oxide layer on the surface of the top electrode of an electrode-piezoelectric stack, thereby increasing the relative thickness of the electrode layer to the piezoelectric layer. In one embodiment, the resonant frequency of an FBAR is adjusted downwardly as the top electrode layer increases relative to the piezoelectric layer. In another embodiment, the method of stabilizing is achieved by intentionally inducing oxidation at an elevated temperature.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a resonator, and in particular, a thin film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR), and a resonator embodying the method are disclosed. A resonator is fabricated on a substrate, and its top electrode 56 is oxidized to form a oxide layer 58. For a substrate having multiple resonators, the top electrode 56 of only selected resonator is oxidized to provide resonators having different resonance frequencies on the same substrate.

Abstract: A device includes a die that contains a filter circuit. The filter is implemented using film bulk acoustic resonators. A package contains the die. The package includes a base portion. Signal paths are incorporated in the base portion. Solder joints attach the die to the base portion. The solder joints electrically connect pads on the die to the signal paths in the base portion. The solder joints do not include, and are used instead of, wire bonds.

Abstract: An acoustical resonator comprising top and bottom electrodes that sandwich a PZ layer. The resonance frequency of the acoustical resonator may be adjusted after fabrication by utilizing heating elements included in the acoustical resonator and/or by adjusting the thickness of a tuning layer. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the electrodes comprise Mo layers. One embodiment of the present invention is constructed on a Si3N4 membrane. A second embodiment of the present invention is constructed such that it is suspended over a substrate on metallic columns. In the preferred embodiment, the electrodes are deposited by a method that minimizes the stress in the electrodes.

Abstract: An apparatus having both a resonator and an inductor fabricated on a single substrate and a method of fabricating the apparatus are disclosed. The apparatus includes a resonator and an inductor that is connected to the resonator. Both the resonator and the inductor are fabricated over their respective cavities to produce a high Q-factor filter circuit.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a resonator, and in particular, a thin film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR), and a resonator embodying the method are disclosed. An FBAR is fabricated on a substrate by mass loading piezoelectric (PZ) layer between two electrodes. For a substrate having multiple resonators, only selected resonator is mass loaded to provide resonators having different resonance frequencies on the same substrate.

Abstract: In an array of acoustic resonators, the effective coupling coefficient of first and second filters are individually tailored in order to achieve desired frequency responses. In a duplexer embodiment, the effective coupling coefficient of a transmit band-pass filter is lower than the effective coupling coefficient of a receive band-pass filter of the same duplexer. In one embodiment, the tailoring of the coefficients is achieved by varying the ratio of the thickness of a piezoelectric layer to the total thickness of electrode layers. For example, the total thickness of the electrode layers of the transmit filter may be in the range of 1.2 to 2.8 times the total thickness of the electrode layers of the receive filter. In another embodiment, the coefficient tailoring is achieved by forming a capacitor in parallel with an acoustic resonator within the filter for which the effective coupling coefficient is to be degraded.

Abstract: In an array of acoustic resonators, the effective coupling coefficient of first and second filters are individually tailored in order to achieve desired frequency responses. In a duplexer embodiment, the effective coupling coefficient of a transmit band-pass filter is lower than the effective coupling coefficient of a receive band-pass filter of the same duplexer. In one embodiment, the tailoring of the coefficients is achieved by varying the ratio of the thickness of a piezoelectric layer to the total thickness of electrode layers. For example, the total thickness of the electrode layers of the transmit filter may be in the range of 1.2 to 2.8 times the total thickness of the electrode layers of the receive filter. In another embodiment, the coefficient tailoring is achieved by forming a capacitor in parallel with an acoustic resonator within the filter for which the effective coupling coefficient is to be degraded.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a resonator, and in particular, a thin film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR), and a resonator embodying the method are disclosed. An FBAR is fabricated on a substrate by introducing a mass loading electrode to a bottom electrode layer. For a substrate having multiple resonators, mass loading bottom electrode is introduced for only selected resonator to provide resonators having different resonance frequencies on the same substrate.

Abstract: A filter, such as a transmit filter of a duplexer, includes an array of acoustic resonators that cooperate to establish an asymmetrically shaped filter response over a target frequency passband. The acoustic resonators are preferably film bulk acoustic resonators (FBARs). The filter response defines an insertion loss profile in which a minimum insertion loss within the target passband is located at or near a first end of the frequency passband, while the maximum insertion loss is located at or near the opposite end of the frequency passband. In the transmit filter embodiment, the minimum insertion loss is at or near the high frequency end of the filter response, which is tailored by selectively locating poles and zeros of the array of FBARs.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a resonator, and in particular, a thin film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR), and a resonator embodying the method are disclosed. The resonator is fabricated on a substrate by fabricating a bottom electrode layer and a piezoelectric (PZ) layer over the bottom electrode layer. A selected portion of the PZ layer is partially etched. Then, a top electrode is fabricated over the selected portion of the PZ layer.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a resonator, and in particular, a thin film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR), and a resonator embodying the method are disclosed. An FBAR is fabricated on a substrate by mass loading piezoelectric (PZ) layer between two electrodes. For a substrate having multiple resonators, only selected resonator is mass loaded to provide resonators having different resonance frequencies on the same substrate.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a resonator, and in particular, a thin film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR), and a resonator embodying the method are disclosed. An FBAR is fabricated on a substrate by reducing mass from a top electrode layer. For a substrate having multiple resonators, mass is reduced from only selected resonator to provide resonators having different resonance frequencies on the same substrate.

Abstract: A method for fabricating an acoustic resonator, for example a Thin Film Bulk Acoustic Resonators (FBAR), on a substrate. A depression is etched and filled with sacrificial material. The FBAR is fabricated on the substrate spanning the depression, the FBAR having an etch hole. The depression may include etch channels in which case the FBAR may include etch holes aligned with the etch channels. A resonator resulting from the application of the technique is suspended in air and includes at least one etch hole and may include etch channels.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a resonator, and in particular, a thin film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR), and a resonator embodying the method are disclosed. An FBAR is fabricated on a substrate by introducing a mass loading top electrode layer. For a substrate having multiple resonators, the top mass loading electrode layer is introduced for only selected resonator to provide resonators having different resonance frequencies on the same substrate.